Johnston County Board of Commissioners Redistricting

The Johnston County Board of Commissioners is made up of seven Commissioners, who are each elected from seven residency districts. Residency districts mean that each Commissioner must reside in his or her district, but all voters in the County are able to vote for all seven seats on the Board. These are distinct from electoral districts, in which only voters in that district can vote for that commissioner seat. It is also distinct from an at-large voting system, in which candidates can reside anywhere in the County and all voters elect representatives from all at-large seats.

Generally, counties with residency districts are not required or allowed to redistrict every 10 years, like counties with electoral districts. However, the North Carolina General Assembly recently passed a local bill that allows the Johnston County Board of Commissioners to redistrict their residency districts. See 2023 SL 24. The redistricting must be completed in advance of the 2024 election cycle. Candidate filing for the 2024 election begins on Monday, December 4, 2023 and ends at noon on Friday, December 15, 2023.

Guiding Principles for Redistricting

The Board of Commissioners had decided on the following principles to guide the redistricting of its residency districts:

1. Equalize population

2. Keep incumbents in separate districts

3. Follow natural boundaries and physical features, such as roads or waterways, to the extent possible.

Population Changes 

Since Johnston County has residency districts, where every voter in the County votes for every Commissioner seat, there are no constitutional requirements to equalize population as with electoral districts. However, the Board of Commissioners desires to substantially equalize the population of the residency districts with this redistricting.

Johnston County has experienced approximately a 165% increase in population since its residency district lines were created and effective in 1992.

Redistricting Timeline

• The proposed plans will be presented to the Board of Commissioners on September 18, 2023. 

• A public drop-in session will be held for citizens to view the maps and submit public comments on September 20, 2023 from 5:00- 7:00 p.m. in the Johnston County Board of Commissioners Meeting Room.

• The Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed plans October 2, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room.

• The Board may select a final plan and adopt a resolution implementing that plan on October 2, 2023.

The Commissioners Meeting Room is located in the Johnston County Courthouse at 207 E. Johnston Street, Smithfield, N.C. 27577. Maps will also be on display in the Courthouse beginning next week.